Just a Feeling
by JPHBK
Summary: Part 11 of my post "Justice League" (2017) series. The group is getting together at their new base of operations for the first time. Bruce has some fears. Clark is optimistic. Diana is conflicted.


Disclaimer: DC owns the characters within, not I.

"So I take it the training with Clark has been going well?" Bruce asked over his shoulder as he set a box down next to the wall in front of him.

"Yes, it has," Diana responded as she carried a box to the opposite end of the room.

"That's good," Bruce commented straightening up and turning to her. Diana set the box she was carrying down and turned to face him as well with a smile. Bruce made his way closer to her, leaning a hand on the table in the center of the room. "Did anything happen between you?"

"Happen?" Diana questioned with one raised eyebrow.

"Last we talked... you were talking about falling for him, I just..." Bruce struggled to for the best way to respond and shed the awkwardness he was feeling. "It's none of my business."

"Nothing has happened," Diana replied. "Just friends."

"Oh... well... there you go," Bruce said as he ran a hand up through his hair.

"Yeah, I just..." Diana paused. "Just gonna let whatever happens, happen."

"Sometimes that's the best road to take," Bruce said. Diana made her way over to run a hand across the table Bruce was still leaning on. She looked around at the room. Bruce joined her in taking in the view. "I think it's coming along nicely."

"Yes, yes it is," Diana agreed as she eyed the freshly painted walls. "It's quite beautiful, this place."

"Yeah... it was once," Bruce agreed.

"I think it still is, the renovations are working wonders," Diana replied. Bruce shrugged and walked over to one of the boxes to pull out a computer monitor. He carried it over to a desk in the corner and set it down. Diana watched him as he went about plugging the screen in. "Everything okay?"

"I'm fine," Bruce responded, sensing Diana was going to ask him about his change in demeanor. He glanced beside him to see her approaching. Soon she was standing next to him. He turned to her and offered her a forced smile.

"Wanna talk about it?" Diana asked. Bruce began to say "no" but reconsidered as he looked at her. He turned to face her fully.

"Honestly..." Bruce began. Diana nodded for him to continue. "Ever since we have been back here... fixing this place up... I just have had a bad feeling."

"Bad feeling?" Diana inquired.

"Yeah... I don't know," Bruce replied with a shrug.

"About the team?" Diana asked.

"No," Bruce replied quickly. "Nothing like that."

"Is being back here bringing back bad memories?" Diana continued her questioning.

"I don't... maybe, but it feels like it's more than that," Bruce answered. He crossed his arms and glanced around the room. "It's like a sense of dread, that something is gonna happen."

"We all get that from time to time," Diana said.

"I know, it's why I'm mostly just ignoring it," Bruce replied.

"Has there been anything happened?" Diana asked.

"Still no sign of Luthor, the box is still quiet... nothing out of the ordinary," Bruce replied. "Maybe that's what unnerves me the most... the quiet."

"It allows you too much time to think maybe?" Diana suggested.

"Maybe that's what it is... maybe I get inside my own head..." Bruce began. "Sometimes that's not a good place to get lost in."

"Bruce..." Diana said as she reached out to place a hand on his arm. He turned from her and walked over to a seat in front of a large computer set-up he had installed in the corner of the room. Diana started to speak once more when she suddenly felt a presence next to her. She turned to see Clark approaching.

"Hey... am I too late to help?" Clark asked, gesturing around the place. Bruce turned to him just as he and Diana exchanged smiles.

"Just about... could have you used you for some of the heavy-lifting," Bruce responded.

"Sorry, I got held up in a meeting at the Planet," Clark replied.

"It's fine," Bruce said with a half grin before turning back to the computer in front of him.

"Hey, Diana," Clark said as he stopped just in front of her and gave the room a once-over

.

"Hey, Kal," Diana replied as she watched him. She glanced over at Bruce who was typing away and she then turned back at Clark. "How is work?"

"Oh... well... the usual I guess," Clark replied reaching up to remove the glasses he was still wearing. He sheepishly smiled as he slipped them into the pocket of his shirt. Diana smiled at him as he did so. "It's um... actually been quiet... on the news front I mean."

"We were just discussing how things have been quiet," Diana replied.

"I don't like it," Bruce spoke up from the corner. Clark turned to him to see he still had his back to them. He turned back to Diana and furrowed his brow.

"Bruce seems to think something bad is about to happen," Diana explained, she glanced over at Bruce to see he had ceased his typing.

"Why do you think that?" Clark asked, prompting Bruce to spin slowly around in his seat.

"Nothing concrete... just getting a feeling," Bruce answered. Clark nodded and glanced at Diana.

"Feelings sometimes aren't wrong," Clark said as he turned back to Bruce.

"I don't know, maybe it's nothing... maybe I'm just being paranoid," Bruce replied.

"Trust your instincts... I do," Clark said. Bruce eyed him for a moment and nodded before turning back to the computer. Clark turned back to see Diana shrugged and then turned to walk out of the room. He followed behind her and caught up with her as she was stepping out into the yard. "Diana..."

Diana stopped and turned to him.

"Are you leaving?" Clark asked.

"No, just wanted to step out for some air," Diana said with a smile of assurance.

"Oh... is everything okay?" Clark questioned with a gesture behind him.

"I don't know, Bruce has been acting a bit strange," Diana replied.

"Even for him?" Clark attempted some humor, prompting a small grin from Diana.

"Even for him," Diana reacted. "I think it's just being back here, it's messing with his mind."

"Probably, Bruce seems to have a lot of demons but I wouldn't worry about him," Clark stated.

"It's not just that... it's just last time he had this feeling he was right," Diana said as she crossed her arms and shook some loose hair from her face that the breeze had blown there.

"Last time?" Clark asked.

"When..." Diana hesitated. "When you were gone... he had a feeling and then Steppenwolf came."

"Oh..." Clark replied. "We'll just be on guard for whatever might happen... I'm pretty confident in the team."

"Me too," Diana agreed, smiling at Clark's optimism. They stood in silence for a few moments both admiring the scenery surrounding the property. Clark broke the silence.

"By the way... I talked to Arthur a couple of weeks ago," Clark began.

"Oh?" Diana responded.

"Yeah... apparently our training had caused a bit of a stir underseas and got his attention," Clark said with a chuckle.

"Really?" Diana replied. She let out a small laugh. "Wow."

"Of course I told him it was all your fault," Clark replied looking at her out of the corner of his eye with a big grin.

"Right... right," Diana replied shaking her head and bumping her shoulder into his. "I think we are equal parts to blame."

"Yes, we are," Clark agreed as he turned to her. "So how are things in London?"

"Things are good," Diana responded. "You know you could come out and see for yourself if you have the time."

"I could," Clark said.

"Visit anytime," Diana offered. Clark nodded.

"I just don't wanna bother you," Clark stated.

"You are not a bother, Kal," Diana informed him as she made eye contact with him briefly before he turned away.

"We are about to have company," Clark stated as he pointed off in the distance. "Ba..."

Clark did not get to finish his sentence before Barry Allen was suddenly standing in the yard next to him.

"Hey guys," Barry greeted both of them enthusiastically.

"Hey, Barry," Diana replied with a smile for him. Clark nodded at him.

"Am I too late to help?" Barry questioned looking at the large building behind them.

"I think it's mostly done, but you might want to ask Bruce," Clark stated.

"Got it," Barry said he smiled at both of them before making his way towards the house. He stopped and turned back to them. "Will he be grumpy that I am late?"

"Grumpy... Bruce...?" Clark said with a smile. "Never."

"Right..." Barry replied with a laugh before turning and going inside. Clark turned to Diana to see she was eyeing him.

"You saw him?" Diana asked as she pointed down the road leading up to the property.

"Yes, but only briefly," Clark replied. "He's really fast."

"Yes... I heard about the race between you two," Diana said in a teasing tone.

"Oh... not you too?" Clark feigned being hurt at her words.

"I heard about it right away, I think I was the first person he told," Diana said her smile growing wider.

"Oh well," Clark said as the two walked further down the lawn, approaching a tree in the yard. Clark leaned up against it and looked out around the property. He noted how secluded and large the area was and how good it would come to serve them as a secret base of operations.

"You know..." Diana began as she ran her hand across the rough bark of the tree. Clark turned his attention to her. She saw him looking at her and hesitated.

"What?" Clark asked. Diana opened her mouth to speak when she saw Clark looking at the sky above her. She glanced up to see Victor descending down in front of the house. He nodded a greeting at them before disappearing into the house. "The gang is almost all here."

"Yes," Diana agreed. "Is Arthur coming?"

"I don't know what he drives, but if it's a beat-up old pickup truck, then here he comes now," Clark said with a gesture down the long drive. Diana turned to see the truck approaching them. It stopped at the edge of the yard and Arthur popped out of it.

"Sorry I'm late," Arthur said as he approached the pair. "I can navigate the seas like nobody's business... but finding this place... good grief."

"Well the secluded part is for the best," Clark said.

"No doubt, no doubt," Arthur responded. "Where's everyone else?"

"Inside," Diana said. Arthur looked back and forth between the two.

"Oh... well... I guess I better head in there and um... make sure I make roll call or whatever," Arthur said with a chuckle as he walked away from them. Clark laughed and then turned to Diana.

"You were going to say something a minute ago..." Clark recalled.

"Was I?" Diana asked.

"It seemed so, before Victor arrived," Clark responded.

"I think I was just going mention something about London, nothing important," Diana said as she made eye contact with him once more. He held it a little longer this time before turning back to the open land before him. Diana wondered if he was breaking it on purpose. She found herself wishing that she could read his mind.

"This place almost reminds me of home... I mean the open fields and all of that... not so much the huge mansion," Clark joked as he pointed behind Diana at the house. Diana smiled as she remembered visiting Clark's old homestead. She could see the similarities.

"I'm thinking of moving here," Diana said.

"Here?" Clark asked still pointing at the house.

"Not here... here... but the United States," Diana said.

"Oh... what about London, you love it there don't you?" Clark asked.

"I do, but I think it would be more practical if I were here closer to everyone," Diana said.

"Yeah that makes sense," Clark agreed as they matched smiles. "Can I be candid with you Diana?"

"Sure," Diana replied.

"I like talking to you," Clark confessed. Diana tilted her head slightly at him, intrigued and surprised at his words. "I had hoped we would become friends, I'm glad... that we... you know... are doing that."

"Me too, Kal," Diana replied. There was a couple of beats of silence.

"I just... wanted to tell you that," Clark said with a small shrug.

"I'm glad," Diana said as she reached out and rubbed his arm absentmindedly. She caught herself and pulled away to cross her arms once more. Something about Clark compelled her to be more free than usual. Clark had shifted his eyes down to her touch and now moved them back to her eyes. There was silence as both searched for the next thing to say.

The silence was broken by the sound of Arthur's boisterous laughter echoing from inside the house. Clark glanced behind him in that direction.

"I guess I am gonna go inside, don't wanna miss the fun," Clark said with a smile as he turned back to Diana.

"I'll come with you," Diana said as they walked together to go inside and join the rest of the team.


End file.
